JohnFRoss

Norm, I fully understand the desire to own a fine piece of equipment "just because," and there's nothing wrong with using a top-end progressive to load 200 rounds per session, but do you plan to load 200 rounds of one caliber and then in your next session change the tool to load a different caliber? If so, I think you might be setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment. Just sayin...

I just talked with customer service about my Evo Pro order. I asked when the primer collator would be available and she said they were hoping by year end, as they were "still doing testing." I then told her I understood that Revolution presses had been shipping with the collators and she said NO. She said NO ONE has a primer collator as yet. Is this true?

Just for fun...

That depends on your priorities. I've set up something functionally similar on all five of my STAR tools for less than $3 each, using a dollar store plastic funnel, piece of PVC water pipe, and a hose clamp. That said, I've always admired the workshops and garages that some people have which look like they could be featured in Architectural Digest. An extra $66 isn't unreasonable for one of those... My own loading & casting areas aren't quite so pretty, as you can see here:

1. According to S&W's chief engineer on the .500, I've done more ammo development on the .500 than the factory; 2. The .500 is my favorite handgun to shoot, largely replacing the S&W .44s I started shooting in quantity in 1971; 3. I started a shooting school in 2003 that has over 7,000 graduates. Some of them wanted to learn to shoot the .500 well; 4. Some buyers of the .500 variant that I designed want ammo I developed for it; 5. I've always liked shooting big guns...

UPDATE: A Mark 7 rep just called me 5 minutes ago to tell me that Jay is on the road doing matches, but told her to call me and have me send them "a batch" of .500 S&W brass so they could get to work on my shellplate. She didn't know how many was in a "batch," so I'm sending a thousand or so, both new unfired Starline brass, and Starline and Hornady cases that have been fired several times. Woohoo! JR

I haven't commented for a while. I ordered an Evo Pro the first week of Feb. 2018 but I told Jay I wanted it in .500 S&W. He estimated at that time that it would be June before he got around to new shellplates. That was okay by me. Orders exceeded their expectations and June became "Around Labor Day." Now it looks like maybe Jan. 1st... I'm not complaining. My excitement from months ago prompted jcwallace to order a manual Evo in .223; he received it some time ago and he loves it. I will continue to listen to Evo users WHO HAVE AND ARE USING these presses, and pretty much ignore people who claim to "have one on order" but are now "having second thoughts." When I get my press, my standard for comparison is not going to be Evo vs Dillon. Mike Dillon was a friend for 40 years and I bought one of the first RL1000s from him in 1978 and a first-year 1050 in the '80s. Both were disappointments; the 1050 less so than the 1000 because it was one-third the cost. The comparison that I intend to make is Evo vs Star. From what actual current Evo users have been telling me, I think I'm going to be pleased... JR

Snow, I think that question's been answered. Go back through this thread. I've got to leave the computer now or I'd find it for you. Maybe tonight. JR

That's a Lachmiller priming tool, made before RCBS bought them. Mid 1960s or earlier. JR

Looks like the sizing die.

New guy here. As an added data point, I put a deposit on an Evo Pro in early February, shortly after I saw the SHOT Show vid. I told Jay I wanted it in .500 S&W, with additional shellplates for other non-semiauto calibers. He told me recently my .500 S&W Evo will ship around Labor Day, and the primer collator should be available at the same time. He also said he liked my video, which I shamelessly made to gin up the demand for more shellplates. Fingers crossed... JR

Ken Null, Resaca GA makes a good one.